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Literal biggest luxury says no to the transfer portal, returns to Illinois basketball

Brad Underwood has put together a masterclass of how you handle an offseason for the Illinois basketball program.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) reacts in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) reacts in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Illinois basketball is winning the offseason, and that is honestly the first time I can confidently say that in a while.

Sure, the Illini won the offseason last year, but we didn’t know that in the summer months. No Illinois fan was thinking this was a Final Four team, but the storm came together and formed one of the most terrifying forces in college basketball.

David Mirkovic is now returning. Tomislav Ivisic is coming back. Jake Davis brings his ponytail back to Champaign. And on Wednesday, the Illinois basketball social media posted one final piece that is coming back. Zvonimir Ivisic.

Much like the Davis retention, Ivisic isn’t going to get a ton of fanfare. He isn’t a starter, but that doesn’t have anything to do with his talent.

Illinois literally has the biggest luxury in the game returning to the program in 2026-27. The 7-foot-2 big man could start for the vast majority of teams in the country. He could be a starting center on a national title contender.

Instead, Ivisic is coming back to Illinois, where he will likely continue coming off the bench. This past season, he registered 17.2 minutes each night and put up 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

He spent his first two years in college hopping from team to team, but now Ivisic is staying in one spot for multiple seasons. I am excited to see what he can do in an environment he is familiar with.

So, when you dumb it down, Illinois has a 7-foot-2 big man who averages 1.9 blocks per game and can stretch the floor coming back next season. The kid doesn’t start either. He is coming off the bench. No other team has this type of luxury.

Illinois basketball could have the best big man duo in program history next season

There have been some pretty good big man duos in the history of the Illinois basketball program.

You can go back to the days of Red Kerr and Bob Peterson. Bill Burwell and Skip Thoren were legendary. In more modern times, James Augustine and Jack Ingram helped elevate Illinois to a national championship game.

With that being said, it is going to be hard to find a better big man duo than the Ivisic brothers. The 7-foot-1 Tomislav averages 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. When he gets tired or in foul trouble, Illinois taps into the 7-foot-2 Zvonimir for his 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.

Both players can shoot from all levels on the floor, too. Illinois fans are spoiled right now. We have so much talent, and most of it is coming back from a Final Four run just weeks ago. What a time to be alive.

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